 Catalina Highway | |
|---|---|
| General Hitchcock Highway, Sky Island Scenic Byway, Mt Lemmon Highway | |
 Catalina Highway highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by US Forest Service | |
| Length | 27 mi (43 km) |
| Existed | 1933–present |
| Tourist routes |  Sky Island Parkway[1] |
| Major junctions | |
| South end | Tanque Verde Road in Tucson |
| North end | Near the summit of Mount Lemmon |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| Counties | Pima, Arizona |
| Highway system | |
| |
| Forest Highways | |
The Catalina Highway, officially the General Hitchcock Highway, is the popular name for a Forest Highway and scenic route located in Pima County in southern Arizona. Also known as the Sky Island Scenic Byway, the Mount Lemmon Highway and Arizona Forest Highway 39, the Catalina Highway is the only paved roadway providing access to the resort village of Summerhaven as well as various recreational and scientific facilities located near the summit of Mount Lemmon. Ascending from the desert floor in Tucson to near the summit of Mount Lemmon, the short highway gains over 6,000 ft (1,800 m), showcasing a variety of climates ranging from lowland desert to alpine forests.[2] The name sky island comes from the analogy of these mountains being like islands of forest in a sea of desert. It is designated as a scenic byway by the National Scenic Byways Program.[3] and an Arizona Scenic Road by the Federal Highway Administration.[4]
- ^ Arizona Department of Transportation (2014). "Arizona Parkways, Historic and Scenic Roads" (PDF). Phoenix: Arizona Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^ "Catalina Highway". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ^ "Sky Island Scenic Byway". National Scenic Byways Program. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ^ Banks, Leo. "Sky Island Parkway (Catalina Highway)". Arizona Scenic Roads. Retrieved 2009-06-12.[permanent dead link]